Hitching Post

Posted on April 28, 2020 by Laurie Buchanan

I usually take three two-mile walks each day. Each walk is on a different route, but they’re all in or near the Warm Springs historic district of Boise, Idaho (established in the mid-to-late 1800s), which means I get to see some cool stuff, including relics of days gone by.

Back in the day, it was customary for a horse-drawn carriage to pull up parallel to a perfectly spaced hitching post and set of steps. Once the reins were secured in the iron loop on the hitching post, the driver would open the carriage door, and the occupants would descend the steps.

“Hitch your wagon to a star”—the famous quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson—means to aim sky-high and follow your dreams, with the implication that you can achieve anything!

What have you hitched your wagon to?

Yes, please!

Posted on August 20, 2019 by Laurie Buchanan

One of our favorite places to camp is along the river near the mountain-town of Garden Valley, Idaho.

Before it gets dark, we find two long sticks, then using a Swiss Army knife, we whittle the ends into perfect points for piercing marshmallows.

After dark, we build a campfire, get out the marshmallows, Hershey’s chocolate bars, and Keebler graham crackers — because there’s nothing better than elf-made food.

Ooey and gooey, s’mores are delicious fun!

[bctt tweet=”What do you want s’more of?” username=”@TuesWithLaurie”]

What do you want s’more of?

A View With a Room

Posted on June 19, 2018 by Laurie Buchanan

Perhaps you’ve heard of or seen the movie, “A Room With A View,” but what Willa and I passed on our walk along the Greenbelt was definitely a view with a room.

We were meandering along, enjoying all of nature’s sounds (me) and scents (Willa) when all of a sudden the beautiful circular window surrounded by pink blossoms caught my attention.

“Look at me, just look at me, will you?!” it cries. We slowed down to take a look. Not just a cursory glance, but a real look.

Our view—from the outside, in—is lovely! From the inside, theirs has to be spectacular as they overlook the Boise River. To my way of thinking, it would make an excellent writer’s loft.

What comes to mind as you look at the circular window winking out from behind the fragrant pink blossoms?

DNA Blueprint

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Laurie Buchanan

Boise, Idaho has a fantastic downtown area with a plethora of incredible signage. One of my favorites is this one for the Idaho Blueprint and Supply Co. I love that it’s three-dimensional, that it doesn’t lay flat against the building.

Every time I pass this sign I think of my blueprint, my DNA. The dictionary defines DNA as follows:

“DNA, or deoxyribonucleic acid, is like a blueprint of biological guidelines that a living organism must follow to exist and remain functional.”

“We’ve been led to believe that the goal of equality is to somehow make differences disappear yet, in reality, it is to be profoundly aware of them and to recognize them as beautiful and valuable and necessary. The virtue is not in ignoring our various distinctions, but in celebrating them; not in pretending as though they don’t exist, but in believing that their existence makes us a better version of humanity as we live together in community.” —JOHN PAVLOVITZ, from his book “A Bigger Table: Building Messy, Authentic, and Hopeful Spiritual Community”

Have you ever had your DNA tested to discover the breakdown of your ancestry?

Gratitude – It Does a Body Good

Posted on November 21, 2017 by Laurie Buchanan

I’m incredibly grateful. Not only the part of the globe we live on—the Pacific Northwest in the United States—but for our specific town, Boise, Idaho. It’s quite possibly one of the friendliest places on earth.

Boise is quite possibly one of the friendliest places on earth

The words “gratitude” and “grace” share a common origin: the Latin word gratus, meaning “pleasing” or “thankful.” The Association for Humanistic Psychology defines gratitude as “Orientation towards noticing and appreciating the positive in the world.”

University of California Davis psychology professor Robert Emmons’ research revealed that grateful people tend to be more optimistic, a characteristic that literally boosts the immune system—a clear PHYSICAL benefit.

Boise offers free smells (good ones) too

Dr. Alex Wood, a postgraduate researcher in the Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, said that “Gratitude is an integral part of well-being”—a distinct benefit to our MENTAL and EMOTIONAL faculties.

Gratitude helps to open the heart, the seat of compassion. It helps us to see the good in our experience. It enhances trust and helps us to forgive—a benefit to our SPIRITUAL aspect.

How do you weave gratitude into the tapestry of your life?

Cream of the Crop

Posted on October 17, 2017 by Laurie Buchanan

I was excited to receive a link from my friend Lyndajo to an article that lists The Best Library In Every State. When I read that the designation in Idaho is the Coeur d’Alene Public Library, we made a point of visiting it on a trip to that neck of the woods.

“When you absolutely positively have to know, ask a librarian.” —American Library Association

I was delighted to discover that they carry my book, Note to Self: A Seven-Step Path to Gratitude and Growth.

“When I got my library card, that’s when my life began.”
–Rita Mae Brown

I was wowed by this set of moose bookends—they’re taller than I am!

“The library card is a passport to wonders and miracles, glimpses into other lives, religions, experiences, the hopes and dreams and strivings of ALL human beings, and it is this passport that opens our eyes and hearts to the world beyond our front doors, that is one of our best hopes against tyranny, xenophobia, hopelessness, despair, anarchy, and ignorance.” —Libba Bray

October 14th was Indie Author Day. I hope you had the opportunity to attend the festivities at your local library; I had the privilege of speaking at the Boise Public Library that day.

“The truth is libraries are raucous clubhouses for free speech, controversy, and community.” —Paula Poundstone

When was the last time you checked a book out from your library?

On the Rise

Posted on September 5, 2017 by Laurie Buchanan

We never fail to be awed by the many, beautiful hot air balloons that lift off from Ann Morrison Park over Labor Day weekend at the annual Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic. This year’s event was no exception.

As the air in the balloons gets hotter than the surrounding air, they rise. Walking between the balloons before liftoff, the sound is incredible! In fact, an article in the Idaho Statesman newspaper recommended that attendees leave their dogs at home because the sound—like a herd of fire-breathing dragons—can scare them.

Mentally, emotionally, or spiritually, what is it that lifts you up?

Path of Totality (almost)

Posted on August 22, 2017 by Laurie Buchanan

Yesterday, a good portion of the United States had the rare opportunity to experience a solar eclipse. Boise, Idaho wasn’t in the “path of totality” for the moon blotting out 100 percent of the sun, but we peaked just shy of it at seeing 99.5 percent of the sun covered.

And what better place to use nature’s pinhole camera than “The City of Trees.” Len and I used protective eclipse eyewear to view the sun, but we also enjoyed seeing hundreds of tiny crescents covering the driveway. We’d read in the newspaper that:

“A pinhole camera is the most simple image-projection technology there is. You can use a thumbtack to punch a hole in card stock, hold that card under a direct light source, and a tiny, exact image of that light source will be projected on the other side of the hole.”

Photo by Laurie Buchanan © TuesdaysWithLaurie.com

“Sunlight filtering through the branches of trees will create a field of crescent-shaped light on the sidewalk below it. It’s the pinhole camera effect, multiplied naturally hundreds of time underneath each tree. Each gap in the leaves acts as its own pinhole, so you see an image of the eclipse in each of those gaps.”

Where were you during the eclipse on August 21, 2017?

Comfort Zone

Posted on August 8, 2017 by Laurie Buchanan

Willa isn’t fond of getting in the water—at all. It takes courage even to get her paws wet. So when she stepped out of her comfort zone and into Lake Cascade, we were proud of her and happy for her.

Comfort Zone is defined as “behavioral space where your activities and behaviors fit a routine and pattern that minimizes stress and risk.”

Remember when the training wheels were removed from your bicycle? Or the first time you swam without water wings? Trying new things helps us expand our borders.

When was the last time you stepped out of your comfort zone?

Steam Heat

Posted on December 6, 2016 by Laurie Buchanan

It’s the time of year in the Pacific Northwest to crank up the heat. Every time I turn the knob on our heating registers, I’m reminded of the Pointer Sisters rendition of Steam Heat. On the City of Boise website you’ll learn:

“Four independent heating districts operate geothermal systems within Boise that serve more than five million square feet of residential, business, and government space. Energy is produced locally and sustainably. Every gallon pumped out is injected back into the system.”

Geothermal Register by Laurie Buchanan at TuesdaysWithLaurie.com

One of those four independent heating districts is historic Warm Springs, a tree-lined avenue that’s home to many of the Victorian-style mansions erected by wealthy miners and businesspeople around the turn of the 20th century. The area gets its name from the natural hot springs that flow from Boise’s fault line.

We live in the carriage house of one of the oldest mansions in the surrounding area (circa 1865). We’re fortunate that our minimalist space enjoys earth-friendly, cost-efficient heat from the hot springs throughout the winter.

I don’t get “steamed” too often, but when I do—it’s not pretty. A few of the large, small, and mid-sized things that get me hot under the collar are mistreatment of people (anything less than respectful), littering, and people who don’t take loving care of their animals.

What chaps your hide, boils your blood, or makes you hot under the collar?

Tuesdays with Laurie

"Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing." —Laurie Buchanan

Tag Archives: Idaho